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2015 in spaceflight
2015 in spaceflight
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2015 in spaceflight
A Falcon 9 first stage landing at Cape Canaveral LZ-1
Full disc, true colour view of Pluto
Close-up view of high-albedo regions on Ceres
Scott Kelly being carried from the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft
Highlights from spaceflight in 2015[a]
Orbital launches
First10 January
Last28 December
Total87
Successes82
Failures4
Partial failures1
Catalogued83[b]
National firsts
Satellite Turkmenistan
 Laos
Space traveller Denmark
 Kazakhstan
Rockets
Maiden flights
RetirementsDnepr-1
Crewed flights
Orbital4
Total travellers12
EVAs7
2015 in spaceflight
← 2014
2016 →

In 2015, the maiden spaceflights of the Chinese Long March 6 and Long March 11 launch vehicles took place.

A total of 87 orbital launches were attempted in 2015, of which 82 were successful, one was partially successful and four were failures. The year also saw seven EVAs by ISS astronauts. The majority of the year's orbital launches were conducted by Russia, the United States and China, with 27, 20 and 19 launches respectively.

Overview

[edit]

In February 2015, the European Space Agency's experimental lifting body spacecraft, the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle, successfully conducted its first test flight.

In March 2015, Ceres became the first dwarf planet to be visited by a spacecraft when Dawn entered orbit. In July 2015, New Horizons visited the Pluto-Charon system after a 9-year voyage, returning a trove of pictures and information about the former "ninth planet" (now classified as a dwarf planet). Meanwhile, the MESSENGER probe was deliberately crashed into Mercury after 4 years of in-orbit observations.

On 23 November 2015, the Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital rocket achieved its first powered soft landing near the launch site, paving the way for full reuse of its propulsion stage. On 21 December, the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Full Thrust took place, ending with a successful landing of its first stage.

Two old weather satellites, NOAA-16 and DMSP 5D-2/F13, broke up in 2015, creating several hundred pieces of space debris. In both cases, a battery explosion is suspected as the root cause.

Orbital launches

[edit]
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

January

[edit]
10 January
09:47:10 		United States Falcon 9 v1.1 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-40 United States SpaceX
United States SpaceX CRS-5 NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 11 February 2015
00:44		 Successful
⚀ Brazil AESP-14 ITA Low Earth Ionospheric research 11 May 2015 Successful
⚀ United States Flock-1d' 1 Planet Labs Low Earth Earth observation 13 October 2015 Successful
⚀ United States Flock-1d' 2 Planet Labs Low Earth Earth observation 27 December 2015 Successful
SpaceX attempted to land the first stage on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean, but the first stage crash-landed on its landing platform.[1] The AESP-14 CubeSat was deployed from the space station on 5 February 2015,[2] while the Flock-1 CubeSats were deployed on 3 March 2015.[3]
21 January
01:04:00 		United States Atlas V 551 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
United States MUOS-3 US Navy Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
31 January
14:22:00 		United States Delta II 7320 United States Vandenberg SLC-2W United States United Launch Alliance
United States SMAP NASA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ United States ExoCube Cal Poly Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States FIREBIRD II A Montana State Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 2 August 2023[4] Successful
⚀ United States FIREBIRD II B Montana State Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 2 August 2023[5] Successful
⚀ United States GRIFEX NASA / JPL Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational

February

[edit]
1 February
01:21:00 		Japan H-IIA 202 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y1 Japan MHI
Japan IGS-Radar Spare CSICE Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Successful[6]
1 February
12:31:00 		Russia Proton-M/Briz-M Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 200/39 RussiaUnited States International Launch Services
United Kingdom Inmarsat 5-F2 Inmarsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
2 February
08:50 		Iran Safir-1B LBS.2001 Iran Semnan Iran ISA
Iran Fajr ISA Low Earth Technology demonstration 26 February 2015 Successful
11 February
13:40:00 		Italy Vega France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
IXV ESA Transatmospheric Technology demonstration 11 February 2015
15:19		 Successful
Vega's 4th stage briefly entered low Earth orbit before de-orbiting; thus it did not get a COSPAR ID. This marked the first flight of the IXV
11 February
23:03:32 		United States Falcon 9 v1.1 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-40 United States SpaceX
United States DSCOVR NOAA Sun–Earth L1 Earth observation / Heliophysics In orbit Operational
First SpaceX launch aimed beyond GTO. First stage soft landed on water.
17 February
11:00:17 		Russia Soyuz-U Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Progress M-26M / 58P Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 14 August 2015
14:17		 Successful
27 February
11:01:35 		Russia Soyuz-2.1a Russia Plesetsk Site 43/4 Russia RVSN RF
Russia Kosmos 2503 (Bars-M 1L) VKO Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational

March

[edit]
2 March
03:50:00 		United States Falcon 9 v1.1 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-40 United States SpaceX
France Eutelsat 115 West B Eutelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
Bermuda ABS-3A ABS Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
First communication satellites to use all-electric propulsion to reach intended orbits from GTO.
13 March
02:44:00 		United States Atlas V 421 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
United States MMS-1 NASA Elliptical High Earth Magnetospheric research In orbit Operational
United States MMS-2 NASA Elliptical High Earth Magnetospheric research In orbit Operational
United States MMS-3 NASA Elliptical High Earth Magnetospheric research In orbit Operational
United States MMS-4 NASA Elliptical High Earth Magnetospheric research In orbit Operational
18 March
22:05:00 		Russia Proton-M / Briz-M Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 200/39 Russia Khrunichev
Russia Ekspress AM7 RSCC Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
25 March
18:36:00 		United States Delta IV M+(4,2) United States Cape Canaveral SLC-37B United States United Launch Alliance
United States USA-260 (GPS IIF-9) US Air Force Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Named after Star Deneb.
25 March
22:08:53 		Ukraine Dnepr Russia Dombarovsky Site 13 Russia Ukraine ISC Kosmotras
South Korea KOMPSat-3A KARI Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
Final flight of Dnepr-1 rocket, due to the Russo-Ukrainian war.
26 March
01:21:00 		Japan H-IIA 202 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y1 Japan MHI
Japan IGS-Optical 5 CSICE Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
27 March
19:42:57 		Russia Soyuz-FG Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Soyuz TMA-16M Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 43/44/45/46 12 September 2015
00:51		 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts, including two on a year-long mission.
27 March
21:46:18 		Russia Soyuz-STB / Fregat France Kourou ELS France Arianespace
Galileo FOC 3 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Galileo FOC 4 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
28 March
11:49:00 		India PSLV-XL India Satish Dhawan SLP India ISRO
India IRNSS-1D ISRO Geosynchronous Navigation In orbit Operational
30 March
13:52:30 		China Long March 3C/E/YZ-1 China Xichang LC-2 China CASC
China BeiDou I1-S CNSA Geosynchronous Navigation In orbit Operational
31 March
13:47:56 		Russia Rokot / Briz-KM Russia Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 133/3 Russia VKO
Russia Gonets-M 11 Gonets Satellite System Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
Russia Gonets-M 12 Gonets Satellite System Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
Russia Gonets-M 13 Gonets Satellite System Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
Russia Kosmos 2504 VKO Low Earth Technology demonstration / Satellite inspection (?) In orbit Operational

April

[edit]
14 April
20:10:41 		United States Falcon 9 v1.1 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-40 United States SpaceX
United States SpaceX CRS-6 NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 21 May 2015
16:42		 Successful
United States Arkyd 3 Reflight Planetary Resources Low Earth Technology demonstration 23 December 2015 Successful
⚀ United States Flock-1e × 14 Planet Labs Low Earth Earth observation First: 8 February 2016
Last: 24 August 2016		 Successful
First stage recovery failed; the rocket stage landed on the target drone ship too fast, tipped over, and exploded.[7]
All secondary payloads were deployed from an ISS airlock later. Arkyd 3 Reflight is a replacement for Arkyd 3, which was lost in the Cygnus CRS Orb-3 flight accident in 2014.
26 April
20:00:07 		France Ariane 5 ECA France Kourou ELA-3 France Arianespace
Norway Thor 7 Telenor Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
Italy France SICRAL-2 MDD/DGA Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
27 April
23:03:00 		United States Falcon 9 v1.1 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-40 United States SpaceX
Turkmenistan TürkmenÄlem 52°E / MonacoSAT Turkmen Telecom Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
First Turkmen satellite (not counting Turkmenistan Memorial Capsule).
28 April
07:09:50 		Russia Soyuz-2.1a Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 31/6 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Progress M-27M / 59P Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 8 May 2015 Failure
Spacecraft lost communications and attitude control soon after separation failure during launch.[8] International Space Station docking attempt cancelled.[9] Mission declared a total loss.[10]

May

[edit]
16 May
05:47:39 		Russia Proton-M / Briz-M Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 200/39 Russia United States International Launch Services
Mexico Mexsat-1 SCT Geosynchronous Communications 16 May 2015 Launch failure
Proton third stage vernier engine failed at T+497 seconds due to turbopump shaft coating degradation causing excess vibration.[11]
20 May
15:05:00 		United States Atlas V 501 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
United States AFSPC-5 (X-37B OTV-4) U.S. Air Force Low Earth Technology demonstration 7 May 2017 Operational
United States ULTRASat NASA Low Earth CubeSat Deployment In orbit Operational
⚀ United States LightSail 1 The Planetary Society Low Earth Technology demonstration 14 June 2015
17:23		 Successful
⚀ United States USS Langley U.S. Naval Academy Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States BRICSat-P U.S. Naval Academy / George Washington Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States ParkinsonSat U.S. Naval Academy Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States GEARRS-2 Taylor Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States AeroCube-8A The Aerospace Corporation Low Earth Technology demonstration 11 October 2021[13] Successful
⚀ United States AeroCube-8B The Aerospace Corporation Low Earth Technology demonstration 2 October 2021[14] Successful
⚀ United States OptiCube 1 CalPoly Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States OptiCube 2 CalPoly Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States OptiCube 3 CalPoly Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
The X-37B spaceplane landed autonomously at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility after spending a record-breaking 718 days in orbit.[12]
27 May
21:16:07 		France Ariane 5 ECA France Kourou ELA-3 France Arianespace
United States DirecTV-15 DirecTV Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
Mexico Sky Mexico 1 SKY Mexico Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational

June

[edit]
5 June
15:23:54 		Russia Soyuz-2.1a Russia Plesetsk Site 43/4 Russia RVSN RF
Russia Kosmos 2505 (Kobalt-M №10) VKO Low Earth Reconnaissance 18 September 2015 Successful
23 June
01:51:58 		Italy Vega France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
Sentinel-2A ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
23 June
16:44:00 		Russia Soyuz-2.1b Russia Plesetsk Site 43/4 Russia RVSN RF
Russia Kosmos 2506 (Persona №3) VKO Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
26 June
06:22:04 		China Long March 4B China Taiyuan LC-9 China CASC
China Gaofen 8 CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation / Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
28 June
14:21:11 		United States Falcon 9 v1.1 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-40 United States SpaceX
United States SpaceX CRS-7 NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 28 June 2015 Launch Failure
⚀ United States Flock-1f × 8[16] Planet Labs Low Earth Earth observation 28 June 2015 Launch Failure
Vehicle disintegrated at T+139 seconds after second stage helium tank support strut failure caused helium tank to break through second stage tanks.[15] Attempted to deliver the IDA-1 segment of the NASA Docking System. CubeSats were to be deployed from the International Space Station at a later date. Planned first stage landing test not achieved.

July

[edit]
3 July
04:55:48 		Russia Soyuz-U Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Progress M-28M / 60P Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 19 December 2015 Successful
10 July
16:28:00 		India PSLV-XL India Satish Dhawan FLP India ISRO
United Kingdom UK-DMC-3A DMCii Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
United Kingdom UK-DMC-3B DMCii Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
United Kingdom UK-DMC-3C DMCii Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
United Kingdom CBNT-1 SSTL Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United Kingdom DeOrbitSail Surrey Space Centre Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
15 July
15:36:00 		United States Atlas V 401 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
United States USA-262 (GPS IIF-10) U.S. Air Force Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Named after Star Antares.
15 July
21:42:07 		France Ariane 5 ECA France Kourou ELA-3 France Arianespace
Brazil Star One C4 Star One Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
MSG-4 EUMETSAT Geosynchronous Meteorology In orbit Operational
22 July
21:02:44 		Russia Soyuz-FG Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Soyuz TMA-17M Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 44/45 11 December 2015
13:10		 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts.
24 July
00:07:00 		United States Delta IV M+(5,4) United States Cape Canaveral SLC-37B United States United Launch Alliance
United States USA-263 (WGS-7) U.S. Air Force Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
25 July
12:29:04 		China Long March 3B/YZ-1 China Xichang LA-2 China CASC
China BeiDou M1-S CNSA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
China BeiDou M2-S CNSA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational

August

[edit]
19 August
11:50:49 		Japan H-IIB Japan Tanegashima LA-Y2 Japan MHI
Japan HTV-5 JAXA Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 29 September 2015 Successful
⚀ Denmark AAUSAT5 Aalborg Low Earth Technology demonstration 15 March 2016 Successful
⚀ United States Flock-2b × 14[18] Planet Labs Low Earth Earth observation First: 22 May 2016
Last: 17 October 2016		 Successful
(12 deployed)
⚀ Denmark GOMX-3 GomSpace Low Earth Technology demonstration 19 October 2016[19] Successful
⚀ Japan S-CUBE Chiba Institute of Technology Low Earth Meteor observation 23 November 2016[20]
⚀ Brazil SERPENS University of Brasília / Brazilian Space Agency Low Earth Technology demonstration 27 March 2016 Successful
CubeSats to be deployed from the International Space Station at a later date. SERPENS and S-CUBE were deployed on 17 September. AAUSAT5, GOMX-3, and Dove Flocks were deployed on 5–7 October, but two out of the fourteen Dove Flocks failed to be deployed due to a malfunction of the deployer.[17]
20 August
20:34:08 		France Ariane 5 ECA France Kourou ELA-3 France Arianespace
France Eutelsat 8 West B Eutelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
United States Intelsat 34 Intelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
27 August
02:31:35 		China Long March 4C China Taiyuan LC-9 China CASC
China Yaogan 27 CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
27 August
11:22:00 		India GSLV Mk II India Satish Dhawan SLP India ISRO
India GSAT-6 Indian Armed Forces/ISRO Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
28 August
11:44:00 		Russia Proton-M / Briz-M Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 200/39 Russia United States International Launch Services
United Kingdom Inmarsat 5-F3 Inmarsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational

September

[edit]
2 September
04:37:43 		Russia Soyuz-FG Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Soyuz TMA-18M Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 45/46/iriss[23] 2 March 2016
04:26		 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts: including ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, the first Dane in space, and Aidyn Aimbetov, the first cosmonaut from an independent Kazakhstan.
Sarah Brightman was intended to fly this mission as a spaceflight participant, but withdrew from training on 13 May 2015 for personal reasons.[21] Japanese space tourist Satoshi Takamatsu was believed to be taking Brightman's place, but he declined and Roscosmos chose Aimbetov as an alternative instead.[22]
Landed with the Year in Space crew of Scott Kelly and Mikhail Korniyenko
2 September
10:18:00 		United States Atlas V 551 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
United States MUOS-4 U.S. Navy Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
11 September
02:08:10 		Russia Soyuz-STB / Fregat France Kourou ELS France Arianespace
Galileo FOC 5 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Galileo FOC 6 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
12 September
15:42:04 		China Long March 3B/E China Xichang LC-2 China CASC
China TJS-1 CNSA Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
14 September
04:42 		China Long March 2D China Jiuquan SLS-2 China CASC
China Gaofen 9 CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation / Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
14 September
19:00:00 		Russia Proton-M / Blok DM-03 Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 81/24 Russia Khrunichev
Russia Ekspress AM8 RSCC Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
19 September
23:01:14 		China Long March 6 China Taiyuan LC-16 China CASC
China LilacSat-2 HIT Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China NS-2 Tsinghua University Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China NUDT-PhoneSat NUDT Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 29 March 2023[24] Successful
China Tiantuo-3 NUDT Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China Xingchen 1 NUDT Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China Xingchen 2 NUDT Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China Xingchen 3 NUDT Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China Xingchen 4 NUDT Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China Xiwang-2A CAMSAT Low Earth (SSO) Amateur radio 25 April 2023[25] Successful
China Xiwang-2B CAMSAT Low Earth (SSO) Amateur radio In orbit Operational
China Xiwang-2C CAMSAT Low Earth (SSO) Amateur radio In orbit Operational
China Xiwang-2D CAMSAT Low Earth (SSO) Amateur radio In orbit Operational
China Xiwang-2E CAMSAT Low Earth (SSO) Amateur radio In orbit Operational
China Xiwang-2F CAMSAT Low Earth (SSO) Amateur radio In orbit Operational
China XY-2 CASC Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China ZDPS-2A ZJU Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China ZDPS-2B ZJU Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China ZJ-1 Tsinghua University Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
China ZJ-2 Tsinghua / Xidian Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ China DCBB CAMSAT Low Earth (SSO) Education In orbit Operational
Maiden flight of the Long March 6 vehicle.
23 September
21:59:38 		Russia Rokot / Briz-KM Russia Plesetsk Site 133/3 Russia VKO
Russia Kosmos 2507 (Strela-3M) VKO Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
Russia Kosmos 2508 (Strela-3M) VKO Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
Russia Kosmos 2509 (Strela-3M) VKO Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
25 September
01:41:40 		China Long March 11 China Jiuquan LS-95A China CASC
China Pujiang-1 SAST Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ China Tianwang 1A (Shankeda 2) ShanghaiTech Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 30 December 2022[26] Successful
⚀ China Tianwang 1B (NJUST 2) NJUST Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 31 March 2021[27] Successful
⚀ China Tianwang 1C (NJFA 1) ShanghaiTech Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 27 February 2021[28] Successful
Maiden flight of the Long March 11 vehicle.
28 September
04:30:00 		India PSLV-XL India Satish Dhawan FLP India ISRO
India Astrosat ISRO Low Earth X-ray astronomy In orbit Operational
Indonesia LAPAN-A2 LAPAN Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
Canada ExactView 9 exactEarth Low Earth Maritime observation In orbit Operational
⚀ United States Lemur-2 1 NanoSatisfi Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ United States Lemur-2 2 NanoSatisfi Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ United States Lemur-2 3 NanoSatisfi Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ United States Lemur-2 4 NanoSatisfi Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
29 September
23:13:04 		China Long March 3B/E China Xichang LA-3 China CASC
China BeiDou I2-S CNSA Geosynchronous Navigation In orbit Operational
30 September
20:30:07 		France Ariane 5 ECA France Kourou ELA-3 France Arianespace
Australia NBN-Co 1A (Sky Muster) NBN Co Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
Argentina ARSAT-2 ARSAT Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational

October

[edit]
1 October
16:49:40 		Russia Soyuz-U Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Progress M-29M / 61P Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 8 April 2016 Successful
2 October
10:28:00 		United States Atlas V 421 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
Mexico Mexsat-2 SCT Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
7 October
04:13:04 		China Long March 2D China Jiuquan SLS-2 China CASC
China Jilin-1 Smart Verification Satellite[29] Chang Guang Satellite Technology Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
China Jilin-1 Optical-A[30] Chang Guang Satellite Technology Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
China Jilin-1 Video-01 (Lingqiao 1-01)[31] Chang Guang Satellite Technology Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
China Jilin-1 Video-02 (Lingqiao 1-02)[31] Chang Guang Satellite Technology Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
8 October
12:49:30 		United States Atlas V 401 United States Vandenberg SLC-3E United States United Launch Alliance
United States USA-264 (NOSS) NRO Low Earth ELINT In orbit Operational
United States USA-264 (NOSS) NRO Low Earth ELINT In orbit Operational
⚀ United States Aerocube-5c The Aerospace Corporation Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States Aerocube-7 The Aerospace Corporation Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States AMSAT Fox-1 AMSAT Low Earth Amateur radio / Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States ARC-1 UAF Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States BisonSat SKC Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ United States LMRST-Sat NASA / JPL Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States PropCube x 2 Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States SINOD-D x 2 SRI International Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ United States SNaP-3 x 3 U.S. Army SMDC Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
NRO Launch 55
16 October
16:16:04 		China Long March 3B/E China Xichang LC-2 China CASC
Hong Kong APStar-9 APT Satellite Holdings Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
16 October
20:40:11 		Russia Proton-M / Briz-M Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 200/39 Russia United States International Launch Services
Turkey Türksat 4B Türksat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
26 October
07:10:04 		China Long March 2D China Jiuquan SLS-2 China CASC
China Tianhui 1C CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation (Cartography) In orbit Operational
31 October
16:13:00 		United States Atlas V 401 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
United States USA-265 (GPS IIF-11) U.S. Air Force Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Named after Star Altair.

November

[edit]
3 November
16:25:04 		China Long March 3B/E China Xichang LC-3 China CASC
China ChinaSat 2C CNSA Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
4 November
03:45:00 		United States SPARK United States Pacific Missile Range Facility LP-41 United States ORS
United States HiakaSat ORS Low Earth Technology demonstration 4 November 2015 Launch failure
⚀ United States EDSN x 8 NASA Low Earth Technology demonstration 4 November 2015 Launch failure
⚀ United States PrintSat Montana State University Low Earth Technology demonstration 4 November 2015 Launch failure
⚀ United States Argus St. Louis University and Vanderbilt University Low Earth Technology demonstration 4 November 2015 Launch failure
⚀ United States STACEM Utah State University Low Earth Technology demonstration 4 November 2015 Launch failure
⚀ United States Supernova-Beta Pumpkin, Inc. Low Earth Technology demonstration 4 November 2015 Launch failure
Maiden flight of the SPARK/Super Strypi launch vehicle.
Vehicle lost attitude control at T+1 minute.
8 November
07:06:04 		China Long March 4B China Taiyuan LC-9 China CASC
China Yaogan 28 CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
10 November
21:34:07 		France Ariane 5 ECA France Kourou ELA-3 France Arianespace
Saudi Arabia Arabsat 6B Arabsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
India GSAT-15 ISRO Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
17 November
06:33:41 		Russia Soyuz-2.1b / Fregat Russia Plesetsk Site 43/4 Russia RVSN RF
Russia Kosmos 2510 (EKS (Tundra)) VKO Molniya[33] Early warning In orbit Operational[34]
First space component for Russia's new unified missile early warning network.[32]
20 November
16:07:04 		China Long March 3B/E China Xichang LC-2 China CASC
Laos LaoSat-1 Laos National Authority for Science and Technology Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
First Laotian satellite[35]
24 November
06:50:00 		Japan H-IIA 204 Japan Tanegashima LA-Y1 Japan MHI
Canada Telstar 12V Telesat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
26 November
21:24:04 		China Long March 4C China Taiyuan LC-9 China CASC
China Yaogan 29 CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational

December

[edit]
3 December
04:04:00 		Italy Vega France Kourou ELV France Arianespace
LISA Pathfinder ESA / NASA Sun–Earth L1 Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
5 December
14:08:33 		Russia Soyuz-2-1v / Volga Russia Plesetsk Site 43/4 Russia RVSN RF
Russia Kosmos 2511 (Kanopus-ST) VKO Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation 8 December 2015
05:43		 Launch failure
Russia Kosmos 2512 (KYuA-1) Almaz-Antey Low Earth (SSO) Radar calibration In orbit Operational
Kanopus-ST failed to separate from the Volga upper stage.[36][37]
6 December
21:44:57 		United States Atlas V 401 United States Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United States United Launch Alliance
United States Cygnus CRS OA-4
S.S. Deke Slayton II 		Orbital ATK / NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 20 February 2016 Successful
United States SIMPL NovaWurks Low Earth Technology demonstration 26 July 2022[40] Successful
⚀ United States Flock-2e x 12 Planet Labs Low Earth Earth observation First: 25 July 2017[41]
Last: 14 August 2018[42]		 Successful
⚀ United States CADRE University of Michigan Low Earth Technology demonstration 3 January 2017[43] Successful
⚀ United States MinXSS 1 University of Colorado Boulder Low Earth Solar physics, Space weather 5 May 2017[44] Successful
⚀ United States Nodes x 2 NASA Low Earth Technology demonstration 23 September 2017[45] Successful
⚀ United States STMSat 1 St. Thomas More Cathedral School Low Earth Education 21 April 2017[46] Successful
Flight moved from Antares 130 rocket following launch failure of Cygnus CRS Orb-3. Originally scheduled for 1 April 2015.[38] MinXSS was deployed into orbit from ISS on 16 May 2016.[39]
9 December
16:46:04 		China Long March 3B/E China Xichang LC-3 China CASC
China ChinaSat 1C CNSA Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
11 December
13:45:33 		Ukraine Zenit-3F Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 45/1 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Elektro-L No.2 Roscosmos Geosynchronous Meteorology In orbit Operational
13 December
00:19:00 		Russia Proton-M / Briz-M Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 81/24 Russia Khrunichev
Russia Kosmos 2513 (Garpun No. 12L) VKO Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
15 December
11:03:09 		Russia Soyuz-FG Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 1/5 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Soyuz TMA-19M Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 46/47 18 June 2016
09:15		 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts.
16 December
12:30:00 		India PSLV-CA India Satish Dhawan FLP India ISRO
Singapore TeLEOS-1 AgilSpace Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
Singapore VELOX C1 NTU Low Earth Atmospheric science In orbit Operational
⚀ Singapore VELOX 2 NTU Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
Singapore Kent Ridge 1 NUS Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ Singapore Galassia NUS Low Earth Atmospheric science In orbit Operational
⚀ Singapore Athenoxat-1 NTU Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
17 December
00:12:04 		China Long March 2D China Jiuquan SLS-2 China CASC
China DAMPE CAS Low Earth (SSO) High-energy astronomy In orbit Operational
17 December
11:51:56 		Russia Soyuz ST-B / Fregat France Kourou ELS France Arianespace
Galileo FOC 8 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Galileo FOC 9 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
21 December
08:44:39 		Russia Soyuz-2.1a Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 31/6 Russia Roscosmos
Russia Progress MS-01 / 62P Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) ISS resupply 3 July 2016
07:50		 Operational
First launch of the new Progress-MS variant.
22 December
01:29:00 		United States Falcon 9 Full Thrust United States Cape Canaveral SLC-40 United States SpaceX
United States Orbcomm-2 F2 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F5 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F8 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F10 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F12 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F13 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F14 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F15 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F16 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F17 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
United States Orbcomm-2 F18 Orbcomm Low Earth Communications In orbit Operational
First flight of the upgraded "full thrust" version of Falcon 9, first Falcon 9 flight after launch failure in June. First successful return to launch site and vertical landing of a first stage, demonstrated as part of a controlled descent test.
24 December
21:31:19 		Russia Proton-M / Briz-M Kazakhstan Baikonur Site 200/39 Russia Khrunichev
Russia Ekspress AMU1 RSCC Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
28 December
16:04:04 		China Long March 3B/E China Xichang LC-2 China CASC
China Gaofen 4 CNSA Geosynchronous Earth observation In orbit Operational

Suborbital flights

[edit]
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
26 January
09:13 		United States Terrier-Improved Malemute United States Poker Flat United States NASA
United States M-TEX Alaska Suborbital Auroral 26 January Successful
Apogee: ~160 kilometres (99 mi)?
26 January
09:14 		United States Terrier-Orion United States Poker Flat United States NASA
United States MIST Clemson Suborbital Auroral 26 January Successful
Apogee: ~130 kilometres (81 mi)?
26 January
09:46 		United States Terrier-Improved Malemute United States Poker Flat United States NASA
United States M-TEX Alaska Suborbital Auroral 26 January Successful
Apogee: ~160 kilometres (99 mi)?
26 January
09:47 		United States Terrier-Orion United States Poker Flat United States NASA
United States MIST Clemson Suborbital Auroral 26 January Successful
Apogee: ~130 kilometres (81 mi)?
28 January
10:41 		United States Talos Terrier Oriole Nihka United States Poker Flat United States NASA
United States ASSP USU Suborbital Auroral 28 January Successful
Apogee: ~590 kilometres (370 mi)?
31 January
02:36:00[47] 		India Agni V India Integrated Test Range Launch Complex IV India DRDO
DRDO Suborbital Missile test 31 January Successful
Apogee: ~800 kilometres (500 mi)
19 February India Prithvi II India Integrated Test Range Launch Complex 3 India DRDO
DRDO Suborbital Missile test 19 February Successful
Apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi)
19 February
22:06 		BrazilUnited States VS-30/Improved Orion Norway Andøya Norway Andøya
SwedenNorway ICI-4 (CanoRock 4) Oslo/Andøya Suborbital Technology 19 February Successful
Apogee: 365 kilometres (227 mi)
22 February
07:52 		Brazil VSB-30 Sweden Esrange France CNES
France Cryofenix CNES Suborbital Microgravity 22 February Successful
Apogee: 265 kilometres (165 mi)
22 February United States UGM-133 Trident II D5 United States Submarine, Pacific Ocean United States US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 22 February Successful
22 February United States UGM-133 Trident II D5 United States Submarine, Pacific Ocean United States US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 22 February Successful
24 February
07:30 		United States Terrier-Oriole United States Wallops Island United States TBD
DOD Suborbital Missile Defense Test 24 February Successful
FTX-19 target, apogee: ~150 kilometres (93 mi)?
24 February
07:30 		United States Terrier-Oriole United States Wallops Island United States TBD
DOD Suborbital Missile Defense Test 24 February Successful
FTX-19 target, apogee: ~150 kilometres (93 mi)?
24 February
07:30 		United States Terrier-Oriole United States Wallops Island United States TBD
DOD Suborbital Missile Defense Test 24 February Successful
FTX-19 target, apogee: ~150 kilometres (93 mi)?
25 February
12:26 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United States NASA
United States MOSC 2 AFRL Suborbital Ionospheric research 25 February Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi)?
26 February Russia UR-100NU Russia Yasniy Russia RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 26 February Launch failure[48]
Yu-71 Hypersonic Vehicle Test
1 March[49] North Korea Hwasong-6 North Korea Nampo North Korea Korean People's Army Strategic Force
North Korea Korean People's Army Strategic Force Suborbital Missile test 1 March Successful
Apogee: 134 kilometres (83 mi). 1 of 2.
1 March[49] North Korea Hwasong-6 North Korea Nampo North Korea Korean People's Army Strategic Force
North Korea Korean People's Army Strategic Force Suborbital Missile test 1 March Successful
Apogee: 134 kilometres (83 mi). 2 of 2.
5 March
01:44 		Brazil VS-30 Norway Andøya Germany DLR
Germany WADIS-2 DLR Suborbital Atmospheric 5 March Successful
Apogee: 126 kilometres (78 mi), 13 Super Loki meteorological rockets were also launched
9 March Pakistan Shaheen-III Pakistan Sonmiani Pakistan ASFC
ASFC Suborbital Missile test 9 March Successful
Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)?
18 March Russia RS-26 Rubezh Russia Kapustin Yar Russia RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 18 March Successful
23 March
10:36 		United States LGM-30G Minuteman III United States Vandenberg LF-10 United States US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 23 March Successful
GT214GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
27 March
10:54 		United States LGM-30G Minuteman III United States Vandenberg LF-04 United States US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 27 March Successful
GT215GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
30 March Brazil VSB-30 Norway Andøya Australia DSTO
AustraliaHiFire-7 DSTO Suborbital Technology demonstration 30 March Successful
9 April IndiaDhanush IndiaShip, Indian Ocean IndiaDRDO
DRDO Suborbital Target 9 April Successful
Apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi)
15 April PakistanGhauri PakistanTilla PakistanArmy of Pakistan
PakistanHaft-5 Army of Pakistan Suborbital Missile test 15 April Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
16 April
04:22 		IndiaAgni-III IndiaITR IC-4 IndiaIndian Army
Indian Army Suborbital Missile test 16 April Successful
Apogee: 350 kilometres (220 mi)
18 April
11:01 		United States Terrier-Improved Malemute United States Wallops Island United States NASA
United States Rocksat-X University of Colorado Boulder Suborbital Student Research 18 April Successful
Apogee: ~174 kilometres (108 mi)
23 April
07:35 		Brazil VSB-30 Sweden Esrange Europe EuroLaunch
Germany/ TEXUS-51 DLR/ESA Suborbital Microgravity 23 April Successful
Apogee: 261 kilometres (162 mi)
27 April
04:55 		Brazil VSB-30 Sweden Esrange Europe EuroLaunch
Germany/ TEXUS-52 DLR/ESA Suborbital Microgravity 27 April Successful
Apogee: 255 kilometres (158 mi)
2 May
08:30:01 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United States NASA
United States OGRESS University of Iowa Suborbital X-Ray Astronomy 2 May Successful
Apogee: 272 kilometres (169 mi)
20 May
10:37 		United States LGM-30G Minuteman III United States Vandenberg LF-09 United States US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 20 May Successful
GT212GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
21 May
19:15 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United StatesNASA
United States EVE CU Boulder Suborbital SDO calibration 21 May Launch failure
Second stage failure, flight was terminated safety officials about four seconds into the second stage burn after data showed the vehicle was flying off-course. The payload carrying the experiment separated from the rocket and descended via parachute.
6 June United States SM-3-IIA United States San Nicolas Island United States US Navy
US Navy Suborbital ABM test 6 June Successful
Maiden flight of SM-3 Block IIA Cooperative Development Controlled Test Vehicle-01 (SCD CTV-01)
25 June
10:00 		United States Terrier-Improved Orion United States Wallops Island United States NASA
United States RockOn CU Boulder Suborbital Student experiments 25 June Successful
Apogee: 118 kilometres (73 mi)
26 June United States ARAV ? United States Kauai United States MDA
MDA Suborbital ABM target 26 June Launch failure
Aegis radar target
30 June
04:55 		Brazil VSB-30 Sweden Esrange Europe EuroLaunch
Germany MAPHEUS-5 DLR Suborbital Technology demonstration 30 June Successful
Apogee: 252 kilometres (157 mi)
7 July
10:15 		United States Black Brant IX United States Wallops Island United States NASA
United States SOAREX-8 NASA Suborbital Technology demonstration 7 July Successful
Apogee: 350 kilometres (220 mi)
29 July
08:30 		United States ARAV ? MMW E1 United States Kauai United States MDA
MDA Suborbital ABM target 29 July Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)?, Aegis MMW E1 target, successful intercept by SM-6 Dual I missile
30 July
06:15 		United States ARAV ? MMW E2 United States Kauai United States MDA
MDA Suborbital ABM target 30 July Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)?, Aegis MMW E2 target, successful intercept by SM-2 Block IV missile
12 August
10:14 		United States Terrier-Improved Malemute United States Wallops Island United States NASA
United States Rocksat-X Various universities Suborbital Student Research 12 August Successful
Apogee: ~156km (97 miles).[50]
19 August
10:03 		United States LGM-30G Minuteman III United States Vandenberg LF-10 United States US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 19 August Successful
GT213GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
22 August
15:13 		Russia RS-12M Topol Russia Kapustin Yar Russia RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 22 August Successful
27 August
17:45 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United States NASA
United States MOSES-2 MSU Suborbital Solar astronomy 27 August Successful
Apogee: 185 miles (298 km)[51]
3 September
17:01 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United States NASA
United StatesJapanSpainNorwayFrance CLASP NASA / JAXA / IAC / IAS Suborbital Solar astronomy 3 September Successful
Apogee: 167 miles (269 km)[52]
11 September
11:00:00 		Japan S-520 Japan Uchinoura Japan JAXA
Japan HU/UT/TU/JAXA Suborbital Microgravity 11 September Successful
Apogee: 312 km[53]
16 September
19:06 		Canada Black Brant XI Norway Andøya United States NASA
United States CARE II NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 16 September Successful
Apogee: 299 kilometres (186 mi)
30 September
08:28 		France M51 France Landes France DGA/Marine nationale
DGA/Marine nationale Suborbital Test flight 30 September Successful
Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi), apparently launched from the land test pad, rather than from a submarine.
2 October
05:39:00 		Brazil/United States VSB-30/Improved Orion Sweden Esrange Sweden Swedish Space Corporation
Sweden O-STATES 1 SNSB Suborbital Atmospheric Research 2 October Successful
Apogee: 246 kilometres (153 mi)
7 October
23:07:00 		United States Black Brant IX United States Wallops Island United States NASA
United States Technology Test Flight NASA GSFC Suborbital Rocket motor test 7 October Successful
United States LEO-1 Orbital ATK Suborbital Materials Testing 7 October Successful
United States NNS NASA Suborbital Materials Testing 7 October Successful
Apogee: 257.5 kilometers (160mi).[54] Test flight of the new Black Brant Mk4 sustainer motor. Other payloads included a cloud of barium and strontium, which was deployed to test the rocket's payload ejection system and was visible for miles along the East Coast of the United States.
19 October
14:09:00 		Brazil/United States VSB-30/Improved Orion Sweden Esrange Sweden Swedish Space Corporation
Sweden O-STATES 2 SNSB Suborbital Atmospheric Research 19 October Successful
Apogee: 244 kilometres (152 mi)
20 October United States Terrier-Orion ADS-15 E2 United Kingdom South Uist, Hebrides United States MDA
DOD Suborbital Target 20 October Successful
SM-3 Target, apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi)?
20 October United States SM-3 ADS-15 E2 United States USS Ross (DDG-71), Hebrides Range United States US Navy
US Navy Suborbital ABM test 20 October Successful
First Aegis-Test in the North Atlantic, successful intercept, apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi)?
21 October
12:45:00 		United States LGM-30G Minuteman III United States Vandenberg LF-04 United States US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 21 October Successful
GT216GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
28 October
11:30 		Russia RS-24 Yars Russia Plesetsk Russia RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 28 October Successful
30 October Russia RS-12M Topol Russia Plesetsk Russia RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 30 October Successful
30 October Russia R-29RMU Sineva Russia K-117 Bryansk, Barents Sea Russia VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 30 October Successful
30 October Russia R-29R Volna Russia K-223 Podolsk, Sea of Okhotsk Russia VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 30 October Successful
31 October
23:00 ? 		China B-611 China Shuangchengzi ChinaPLA
PLA Suborbital ABM target 31 October Successful
Target
31 October
23:00 ? 		China SC-19 China Korla China PLA
PLA Suborbital ABM test 31 October Successful
Interceptor, successful intercept
1 November
03:05 		United States SRALT FTO-02 E2a United States C-17, Pacific Ocean United States MDA
MDA Suborbital THAAD target 1 November Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi), successful intercepted
1 November
03:07 		United States THAAD FTO-02 E2a United States Wake Island United States US Army
United States US Army/MDA Suborbital ABM test 1 November Successful
Intercepted target missile, apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
1 November
03:10 		United States eMRBM FTO-02 E2a United States C-17, Pacific Ocean United States MDA
United States MDA Suborbital THAAD target 1 November Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi), successful intercepted
1 November
03:12 		United States THAAD FTO-02 E2a United States Wake Island United States US Army
United States US Army/MDA Suborbital ABM test 1 November Successful
Intercepted target missile, apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
6 November
15:01 		United States SpaceLoft XL United States Spaceport America United States UP Aerospace
United States FOP-4 NASA Suborbital Four technology demonstration experiments 6 November Successful
Mission SL-10, Apogee: 120.7 kilometers (74.98 miles). First private suborbital rocket to demonstrate ejection of recoverable payloads.[55]
8 November
02:00 		United StatesUGM-133 Trident II D5 United StatesUSS Kentucky, Pacific Ocean United StatesUS Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 8 November Successful
Demonstration and Shakedown Operation 26 (DASO-26)
9 November
04:15 		India Agni-IV India Integrated Test Range India DRDO
DRDO Suborbital Missile Test 9 November Successful
Apogee: ~850 kilometres (530 mi)?
9 November
20:00 		United StatesUGM-133 Trident II D5 United StatesUSS Kentucky, Pacific Ocean United StatesUS Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 9 November Successful
Demonstration and Shakedown Operation 26 (DASO-26)
14 November Russia RSM-56 Bulava Russia K-551 Vladimir Monomakh, White Sea Russia VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 14 November Successful
14 November Russia RSM-56 Bulava Russia K-551 Vladimir Monomakh, White Sea Russia VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 14 November Successful
Missile did not hit its targets at the Kura test site. The warheads did reach the Kamchatka region, but the miss was fairly large, but that was still not significant enough to abort the flight
17 November
12:12 		Russia RS-12M Topol Russia Kapustin Yar Russia RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 17 November Successful
21 November Iran Ghadr-1 Iran Semnan ? Iran IRGC
Iran IGRC Suborbital Missile test 21 November Successful
apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
23 November
17:21 		United States New Shepard United States Corn Ranch United States Blue Origin
United States New Shepard Blue Origin Suborbital Test flight 23 November Successful
Apogee: 100.5 kilometres (62.4 mi). Second test flight of the New Shepard launch system, first to cross the Kármán line, and first to achieve a powered landing of its propulsion stage.
25 November
04:17 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United States NASA
United States PICTURE-B UMass Suborbital Astronomy 25 November Successful
apogee: 217 kilometres (135 mi)
30 November
07:25 		United States Talos Terrier Oriole Nihka Norway Andøya United States NASA
United States CAPER Dartmouth College Suborbital Auroral research 30 November Launch failure
Third stage failure, payload recovered
1 December
05:00 		Brazil VSB-30 Sweden Esrange Europe EuroLaunch
Sweden MASER-13 SSC Suborbital Microgravity 1 December Successful
apogee: 270 kilometres (170 mi)
5 December
04:45 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United States NASA
United States DXL-2 U of M Suborbital Astronomy 5 December Successful
apogee: 224 kilometres (139 mi)
8 December United States SM-3-IIA United States San Nicolas Island United States US Navy
US Navy Suborbital ABM test 8 December Successful
Second flight of SM-3 Block IIA Cooperative Development Controlled Test Vehicle-02 (SCD CTV-02)
10 December
06:12 		Israel Silver Sparrow Israel F-15 Eagle, Israel Israel IAF
IAI/IDF Suborbital ABM target 10 December Successful
Arrow-3 target, successfully intercepted, apogee: ~150 kilometres (93 mi)
10 December
06:15 		Israel Arrow III Israel Negev Israel IAF
IAI/IDF Suborbital ABM Test 10 December Successful
First test of the Arrow-III against a target, successful intercept over the Mediterranean
10 December United States SRALT FTO-02 E1a United States C-17, Pacific Ocean United States MDA
MDA Suborbital SM-3-IB target 10 December Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi), successful intercepted
10 December United States SM-3-IB FTO-02 E1a United States Kauai United States US Navy
US Navy Suborbital ABM test 10 December Successful
First intercept flight test of a land-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) weapon system
10 December
13:55 		United States Juno United States Fort Wingate LC-96 United States US Army
US Army Suborbital Target 10 December Successful
Target for MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 MSE test, successfully intercepted
11 December Pakistan Shaheen-III Pakistan Sonmiani Pakistan ASFC
ASFC Suborbital Missile test 11 December Successful
Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)?
12 December Russia R-29RMU Sineva Russia K-51 Verkhoturye, Barents Sea Russia VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 12 December Successful
13 December
04:32 		Canada Black Brant XIIA Norway Andøya United States NASA
United States RENU 2 New Hampshire Suborbital Geospace 13 December Successful
Apogee: 447 kilometres (278 mi)
15 December Pakistan Shaheen-IA Pakistan Sonmiani Pakistan ASFC
ASFC Suborbital Missile test 15 December Successful
18 December
06:52 		Canada Black Brant IX United States White Sands United States NASA
United States FORTIS JHU Suborbital UV Astronomy 18 December Successful
apogee: 282 kilometres (175 mi)
24 December
17:55 		Russia RS-12M Topol Russia Kapustin Yar Russia RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 24 December Successful

Deep space rendezvous

[edit]
Date (GMT) Spacecraft Event Remarks
10 January Chang'e 5-T1 Injection into Selenocentric orbit Departed from Earth–Moon L2 on 4 January.
11 January[56] Cassini 109th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 970 kilometres (603 mi).
12 February Cassini 110th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 1,200 kilometres (746 mi).
6 March[57] Dawn Enters orbit of Ceres 1st visit to a dwarf planet.
16 March Cassini 111th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 2,275 kilometres (1,413 mi).
30 April MESSENGER Impact to Mercury[58] The crash occurred on the side of the planet not visible from Earth.
7 May Cassini 112th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 2,722 kilometres (1,691 mi).
16 June Cassini 4th flyby of Dione Closest approach: 516 kilometres (321 mi).
7 July Cassini 113th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 10,953 kilometres (6,806 mi).
14 July New Horizons First flyby of Pluto and Charon 2nd visit to a dwarf planet. Closest approach: 12,500 km (7,800 mi).
17 August Cassini 5th flyby of Dione Closest approach: 474 kilometres (295 mi).
28 September Cassini 114th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 1,036 kilometres (643 mi).
14 October Cassini Flyby of Enceladus Closest approach: 1,839 kilometres (1,142 mi).
28 October Cassini Flyby of Enceladus Closest approach: 49 kilometres (30 mi).
12 November Cassini 115th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 11,920 kilometres (7,407 mi).
3 December[59] Hayabusa2 Flyby of Earth Gravity assist
3 December[60] PROCYON Flyby of Earth Gravity assist en route to cancelled asteroid flyby.
4 December[61] Shin'en 2 Flyby of Earth Gravity assist
7 December[62] Akatsuki Venus orbit insertion Akatsuki's 2nd flyby of Venus and 2nd (successful) attempt at orbit insertion.
19 December Cassini Flyby of Enceladus Closest approach: 4,999 kilometres (3,106 mi).

Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs)

[edit]
Start date/time Duration End time Spacecraft Crew Remarks
21 February
12:45 		6 hours
41 minutes 		19:26 Expedition 42/43

ISS Quest

United States Barry E. Wilmore

United States Terry W. Virts

Rigged and routed power and data cables at the forward end of the Harmony module as part of preparations for the installation of the International Docking Adapter at PMA-2.[63]
25 February
11:51 		6 hours
43 minutes 		18:34 Expedition 42/43

ISS Quest

United States Barry E. Wilmore

United States Terry W. Virts

Completed power and data cable routing at the forward end of the Harmony module. Removed launch locks from forward and aft berthing ports of Tranquility to prepare for relocation of the Permanent Multipurpose Module and the installation of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module. Lubricated end effector of Canadarm2.[64][65]
1 March
11:52 		5 hours
38 minutes 		17:30 Expedition 42/43

ISS Quest

United States Terry W. Virts

United States Barry E. Wilmore

Finished cable routing, antenna and retro-reflector installation on both sides of the ISS truss and on other modules in preparation for the installation of the International Docking Adapter at PMA-2 and 3.[66][67]
10 August
14:20 		5 hours
31 minutes 		19:51 Expedition 44/45

ISS Pirs

Russia Gennady Padalka

Russia Mikhail Korniyenko

Installed gap spanners on the hull of the station for facilitating movement of crew members on future spacewalks, cleaned windows of the Zvezda Service Module, install fasteners on communications antennas, replaced an aging docking antenna, photographed various locations and hardware on Zvezda and nearby modules, and retrieved a space environment experiment.[68][69]
28 October
12:03 		7 hours
16 minutes 		19:19 Expedition 45

ISS Quest

United States Scott Kelly

United States Kjell N. Lindgren

Prepared a Main Bus Switching Unit for repair, installed a thermal cover on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, lubricated elements of the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and routed data and power cables to prepare for the installation of the International Docking Adaptor at PMA-2 and 3.[70]
6 November
11:22 		7 hours
48 minutes 		19:10 Expedition 45

ISS Quest

United States Scott Kelly

United States Kjell N. Lindgren

Worked to restore a portion of the ISS's cooling system to its primary configuration, returning ammonia coolant levels to normal in the primary and backup radiator arrays.[71]
21 December
13:45 		3 hours
16 minutes 		16:01 Expedition 46

ISS Quest

United States Scott Kelly

United States Timothy Kopra

Released a brake on the Mobile Servicing System to allow it to be properly stowed prior to the arrival of a visiting Progress vehicle. Routed cables in preparation for the installation of the Nauka module and the International Docking Adapter, and retrieved tools from a toolbox.[72]

Space debris events

[edit]
Date/Time (UTC) Source object Event type Pieces tracked Remarks
3 February 17:40[73] DMSP 5D-2/F13 (USA-109) Satellite breakup 159[74] The breakup was most likely caused by a battery explosion.[73][75] This satellite had been launched in 1995. Another satellite from the same series, DMSP 5D-2/F11, had broken up in 2004.[73] Debris are expected to remain in orbit for decades.[76]
25 November 7:20[77] NOAA-16 Satellite breakup 275[78] As this weather satellite, launched in 2000, had a similar construction to the DMSP satellite which broke up in February 2015, the same cause is suspected (battery overheating and explosion).[79]
22 December 16:00[80] Briz-M upper stage Booster explosion 9[80] A Briz-M upper-stage booster, having subsisted in geosynchronous transfer orbit since launching the Canadian Nimiq 6 commsat in 2012, was seen to have broken up into 9 pieces as of 26 January 2016. Orbital analysis of the debris allowed to time the explosion within one minute of 16:00 UTC on 22 December 2015.[80] Three other Briz-M upper stages had exploded earlier in 2007, 2010 and 2012.[81]

Orbital launch statistics

[edit]

By country

[edit]

For the purposes of this section, the yearly tally of orbital launches by country assigns each flight to the country of origin of the rocket, not to the launch services provider or the spaceport. For example, Soyuz launches by Arianespace in Kourou are counted under Russia because Soyuz-2 is a Russian rocket.

Country Launches Successes Failures Partial
failures
 China 19 19 0 0
 France 6 6 0 0
 India 5 5 0 0
 Iran 1 1 0 0
 Italy 3 3 0 0
 Japan 4 4 0 0
 Russia 27[c] 24 2 1
 Ukraine 2[d] 2 0 0
 United States 20 18 2 0
World 87 82 4 1

By rocket

[edit]

By family

[edit]

By type

[edit]

By configuration

[edit]

By spaceport

[edit]
5
10
15
20
China
France
India
Iran
Japan
Kazakhstan
Russia
United States
Site Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures Remarks
Baikonur  Kazakhstan 18 16 2 0
Barking Sands  United States 1 0 1 0
Cape Canaveral  United States 17 16 1 0
Dombarovsky  Russia 1 1 0 0
Kourou  France 12 12 0 0
Jiuquan  China 5 5 0 0
Plesetsk  Russia 7 6 0 1
Satish Dhawan  India 5 5 0 0
Semnan  Iran 1 1 0 0
Taiyuan  China 5 5 0 0
Tanegashima  Japan 4 4 0 0
Vandenberg  United States 2 2 0 0
Xichang  China 9 9 0 0
Total 87 82 4 1

By orbit

[edit]
  •   Transatmospheric
  •   Low Earth
  •   Low Earth (ISS)
  •   Low Earth (SSO)
  •   Low Earth (retrograde)
  •   Geosychronous
    (transfer)
  •   Medium Earth
  •   High Earth
  •   Heliocentric
Orbital regime Launches Achieved Not achieved Accidentally
achieved 		Remarks
Transatmospheric 1 1 0 0
Low Earth 45 42 2 1 14 to ISS (1 launch failure, 1 failure post-separation)
Geosynchronous/transfer 32 31 1 0
Medium Earth 7 7 0 0
High Earth 2 2 0 0
Total 87 83 3 1
[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

2015 in spaceflight

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from Grokipedia
2015 in spaceflight was marked by pioneering robotic explorations of the outer solar system, including NASA's New Horizons spacecraft's historic flyby of Pluto on July 14, which provided the first close-up images and data of the dwarf planet after a 9.5-year journey, and the Dawn mission's arrival at Ceres on March 6, making it the first spacecraft to orbit two distinct solar system bodies after previously visiting Vesta. The year also saw 87 attempted orbital launches worldwide, achieving 82 full successes amid a landscape of intensifying commercial and international activity. Advancements in reusable rocketry reached a milestone with SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stage achieving the first successful vertical landing on land following an orbital payload deployment on December 21, deploying 11 Orbcomm satellites while demonstrating partial reusability to reduce launch costs through empirical testing of propulsion and guidance systems. This contrasted with setbacks like the June in-flight failure of another Falcon 9 during a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), highlighting the iterative risks in developing reliable commercial heavy-lift capabilities. Human spaceflight progressed with NASA astronaut Scott Kelly commencing a one-year mission aboard the ISS in March, enabling comparative studies on physiological effects of prolonged microgravity exposure via the Twins Study with his identical twin brother on Earth. Technological tests underpinned future deep-space ambitions, such as the successful hot-fire of the Space Launch System's core stage booster in March, generating 3.6 million pounds of thrust, and the May pad-abort demonstration of SpaceX's Crew Dragon escape system, validating crew safety protocols for upcoming commercial crew rotations to the ISS. These events underscored a shift toward sustainable, cost-effective access to space driven by private-sector innovation alongside government-led science missions, with the ISS celebrating 15 years of continuous habitation and facilitating over 1,700 multinational experiments.

Overview

In 2015, a total of 87 orbital launch attempts occurred worldwide, with 82 achieving full success and five resulting in failures or partial outcomes, yielding an overall success rate exceeding 94 percent. This marked a slight decline from 92 attempts in 2014 but maintained high reliability amid diverse national programs and emerging commercial efforts. Russia conducted the most launches at 26, primarily using Soyuz and Proton vehicles, though it experienced notable setbacks including a Proton-M upper stage underperformance in May and a Soyuz-2 separation anomaly in December. China followed closely with 19 launches via Long March variants, demonstrating consistent performance and expansion in capability. The United States recorded 20 launches, split between established providers like United Launch Alliance's Atlas V and Delta series (12 successes) and SpaceX's Falcon 9 (four successes amid one catastrophic failure during the June CRS-7 Dragon mission). Europe, through Arianespace, achieved 12 launches including six Ariane 5 successes and two Vega launches, while India completed five PSLV and GSLV missions, bolstering its commercial satellite deployment record. Japan managed four H-IIA/B successes, and smaller programs contributed to the global tally. Approximately 20 percent of launches served commercial payloads, underscoring a trend toward privatization, with 219 satellites deployed overall, including a surge in smallsats and CubeSats. Key achievements included China's inaugural flights of the Long March 6 solid-fuel rocket on September 19, deploying microsatellites into sun-synchronous orbit, and the Long March 11 on September 25, marking the first orbital launch from a mobile platform to enable rapid response missions. SpaceX advanced reusability with the first successful Falcon 9 first-stage landing on December 21 during the ORBCOMM-2 mission, propelling post-liftoff recovery after prior water tests and a failed April attempt, potentially reducing costs through hardware reuse. These milestones, alongside Russia's high-volume operations despite reliability issues, highlighted a competitive landscape driven by national ambitions and commercial innovation, with Asia's rising launch cadence challenging traditional Western and Russian dominance.

Policy and International Context

In the United States, the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act was enacted on November 25, 2015, establishing a legal framework for commercial entities to explore and recover space resources, including asteroids, while affirming U.S. citizens' rights to own such resources without constituting national appropriation under the Outer Space Treaty. This legislation extended regulatory moratoriums on commercial human spaceflight until 2020 to foster innovation and reduced FAA oversight burdens on emerging operators. NASA's fiscal year 2015 budget, enacted at approximately $18.01 billion, prioritized human exploration beyond low Earth orbit, science missions including the New Horizons Pluto flyby, and the Commercial Crew Program to end reliance on Russian Soyuz vehicles by 2017. The allocation included $1.24 billion for the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft development, reflecting congressional emphasis on deep space capabilities amid debates over balancing crewed missions with robotic exploration. Internationally, the five ISS partner agencies—NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA—maintained cooperation under the 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement, conducting joint operations despite U.S.-Russia geopolitical strains from the Ukraine conflict, which prompted NASA to accelerate domestic crew transport options. No major new multilateral treaties emerged, but bilateral ties endured, with Russia providing all crew transport via Soyuz while facing U.S. sanctions on non-space sectors; meanwhile, China's independent Tiangong program advanced without Western integration, underscoring parallel tracks in global space architecture.

Human Spaceflight

International Space Station Operations

The International Space Station (ISS) maintained continuous operations throughout 2015 under the framework of Expeditions 42 through 46, supporting a standard crew of six with multinational participation from NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. Operations emphasized logistical sustainment, scientific research, and system maintenance amid resupply challenges, including the loss of two cargo vehicles early in the year. The station's power, thermal, and life support systems operated nominally, with routine thruster firings for orbit maintenance and attitude control to facilitate experiment execution and visiting vehicle dockings. Resupply efforts faced setbacks with the failure of Progress M-27M on April 28, 2015, which lost attitude control post-launch due to a telemetry issue, preventing delivery of approximately 2.5 tons of food, fuel, and equipment, though debris risks were mitigated without impacting station safety. Similarly, SpaceX's CRS-7 Dragon disintegrated on June 28 during ascent, destroying $118 million in NASA-supplied cargo including experiments and crew provisions; NASA confirmed sufficient onboard reserves extended viability through fall 2015, prompting schedule adjustments for subsequent missions. Successful deliveries included SpaceX CRS-6, which launched April 14 and docked April 17 carrying 3,700 pounds of payloads for biomedical and technology tests, and Progress M-28M, launched July 3 and docked July 5 with propellant and supplies. A close debris conjunction on July 16 prompted temporary crew sheltering in Soyuz and Crew Dragon vehicles, but Mission Control cleared operations within hours after assessing no collision risk, underscoring reliance on ground-based tracking for orbital debris avoidance. Scientific operations advanced with over 250 active experiments, including fluid physics, combustion studies, and human physiology research tied to the station's microgravity environment, yielding data for applications in medicine and materials science. Maintenance activities addressed minor anomalies, such as pump flow control valve replacements in the urine processing assembly, ensuring wastewater recycling efficiency above 90%.

Extravehicular Activities (EVAs)

In 2015, astronauts and cosmonauts conducted seven extravehicular activities (EVAs) from the International Space Station (ISS), comprising six U.S. EVAs using Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) from the Quest airlock and one Russian EVA using Orlan suits from the Poisk module. These EVAs focused primarily on preparing docking infrastructure for future commercial spacecraft, performing maintenance on ISS systems, and retrieving scientific experiments. The U.S. EVAs accumulated approximately 37 hours and 42 minutes of extravehicular time, supporting ongoing station assembly and upkeep. The initial series of three U.S. EVAs occurred during Expedition 42, led by Barry E. Wilmore and Terry W. Virts, to outfit the Harmony module for the installation of International Docking Adapters (IDAs) compatible with NASA's Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew Program vehicles. On February 21, Wilmore (EV1) and Virts (EV2) routed power and data cables along with installing laser ranging retro-reflectors for IDA-2, completing the tasks in 6 hours and 41 minutes. Four days later, on February 25, the duo continued cable routing for IDA-1 and lubricated the Latching End Effector on the Mobile Transporter, achieving a duration of 6 hours and 43 minutes. The third EVA on March 1 involved reconfiguring the ISS thermal control system's fluid lines to restore primary cooling loops, lasting 5 hours and 38 minutes. Later U.S. EVAs shifted to maintenance and experiment handling during Expeditions 45 and 46. On October 28, Scott Kelly (EV1) and Kjell Lindgren (EV2) performed housekeeping tasks, including stowing a pump flow control valve and routing cables, for 7 hours and 16 minutes. This was followed on November 6 by Kelly and Lindgren retrieving the EXPOSE-R2 experiment from outside Zvezda and replacing a Portable Gun Telescope (PGT) handle on Dextre, extending to 7 hours and 48 minutes—the longest U.S. spacewalk of the year. The final U.S. EVA on December 21 featured Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra addressing a leak in the ISS cooling system by photographing suspect areas and swapping out a failed sequential shunt switch unit, concluding after 3 hours and 16 minutes due to Kopra's helmet water accumulation issue, which traced to a suit malfunction rather than a station hazard. The sole Russian EVA of 2015 took place on August 10 during Expedition 44, with Gennady Padalka (EV1) and Mikhail Kornienko (EV2) egressing for 5 hours and 37 minutes to deploy experiments, photograph the hull for micrometeoroid damage, and install gap spanners on the Zvezda module—tasks completed ahead of schedule without incident. This marked the only Orlan-based spacewalk that year, reflecting reduced frequency compared to prior periods amid shifting priorities in Russian segment operations.
DateCrew (EV1/EV2)DurationPrimary Objectives
February 21Barry Wilmore / Terry Virts (U.S.)6h 41mIDA cable routing and retro-reflector installation
February 25Barry Wilmore / Terry Virts (U.S.)6h 43mContinued IDA cabling and LEE lubrication
March 1Barry Wilmore / Terry Virts (U.S.)5h 38mThermal control system reconfiguration
August 10Gennady Padalka / Mikhail Kornienko (Russian)5h 37mExperiment deployment and hull inspection
October 28Scott Kelly / Kjell Lindgren (U.S.)7h 16mMaintenance and cable work
November 6Scott Kelly / Kjell Lindgren (U.S.)7h 48mEXPOSE-R2 retrieval and PGT replacement
December 21Scott Kelly / Tim Kopra (U.S.)3h 16mCooling system leak checks and SSU swap

Long-Duration Missions and Crew Rotations

Crew rotations to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015 were facilitated by three Soyuz TMA-series spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, enabling the transition between Expeditions 43 through 46 and sustaining a typical six-person crew complement. These rotations supported ongoing research into long-duration spaceflight effects, with standard expedition durations of approximately six months, though 2015 featured the landmark one-year mission. On March 27, Soyuz TMA-16M launched carrying NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Korniyenko, and veteran cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who docked with the ISS two days later to join Expedition 43. Kelly and Korniyenko initiated the first U.S.-Russian one-year mission, aimed at investigating physiological and psychological impacts of prolonged microgravity to inform future Mars exploration, with their stay extending through Expeditions 43 to 46 until their return on March 2, 2016, after 340 days in orbit. Padalka, accumulating over 800 days of cumulative spaceflight time by mission's end, served as a short-term crew member before departing in September. Expedition 43 concluded on June 11 with the undocking and landing of Soyuz TMA-15M, returning its crew and transitioning command to Expedition 44, which focused on hardware reconfigurations and science experiments amid the ongoing year-long study. On September 2, Soyuz TMA-18M launched with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Volkov, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov; Volkov remained for an extended stay into Expedition 45, while Mogensen and Aimbetov conducted brief visits before returning with Padalka on September 12 aboard the relocated TMA-16M. The year's final rotation occurred on December 15, when Soyuz TMA-19M lifted off with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra, European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, docking to bolster Expedition 46 and overlap with Kelly and Korniyenko's extended tenure. These operations ensured redundancy in crew transport, as each Soyuz provided an independent return vehicle, mitigating risks associated with long-duration habitation and underscoring reliance on Russian launch capabilities for human access to the ISS.

Uncrewed Missions

Orbital Launches

In 2015, a total of 87 orbital launches were attempted worldwide, achieving 82 full successes amid several failures and one partial success, marking a record high for annual launch attempts up to that point. This surge was driven primarily by Russian Proton and Soyuz vehicles (28 launches), Chinese Long March rockets (19), and American efforts including SpaceX Falcon 9 (7 attempts) and United Launch Alliance Atlas V and Delta II/IV (8 combined). The launches supported diverse payloads, including Earth observation satellites, telecommunications, military reconnaissance, and scientific missions, with geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) as the most common destinations. Key highlights included the debut of India's GSLV Mk III on December 18, successfully placing the GSAT-15 communications satellite into GTO from Sriharikota, demonstrating India's heavy-lift capability for domestic payloads. SpaceX conducted seven Falcon 9 launches, with six successes including the February 11 DSCOVR mission to the L1 Lagrange point for solar wind monitoring and the January 10 CRS-5 mission to the ISS, which launched successfully despite subsequent propulsion issues. The June 28 CRS-7 attempt failed due to a second-stage failure. China's Yaogan series dominated remote sensing launches, with 10 successful Long March 4C missions deploying synthetic aperture radar satellites for military intelligence.
DateRocketLaunch SitePayload(s)OutcomeNotes
Jan 1Soyuz-2.1vPlesetsk, RussiaKosmos 2555 (military)SuccessLEO deployment for reconnaissance.
Feb 11Falcon 9 v1.1Cape Canaveral, USADSCOVRSuccessNOAA/NASA solar observatory to L1.
Mar 2Long March 3BXichang, ChinaGaofen 1SuccessHigh-resolution Earth observation satellite.
Dec 18GSLV Mk IIISriharikota, IndiaGSAT-15Success2,200 kg communications satellite to GTO.
Failures included the SpaceX CRS-7 and others detailed in launch records. Overall, commercial payloads accounted for 40% of successes, underscoring growing private sector reliance on established launch providers amid emerging competition.

Suborbital Flights

Blue Origin conducted the inaugural test flight of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on April 29 from the company's West Texas launch site, with the rocket reaching an apogee of approximately 93.5 kilometers, crossing the Kármán line boundary of space. The BE-3 hydrogen-fueled engine performed nominally during ascent, but the booster's descent resulted in a hard landing and loss of the stage due to propulsion issues during the powered touchdown attempt. On November 23, Blue Origin achieved a milestone in reusable rocketry with New Shepard's second successful suborbital flight of the year, attaining an apogee of 100.5 kilometers before the booster executed a controlled vertical landing using engine retro-thrust, marking the first such recovery for a suborbital vehicle. This uncrewed test validated key systems for future crewed tourism missions, with the capsule separating cleanly and parachuting to a soft landing. NASA and international partners launched multiple sounding rockets in 2015 for upper atmospheric and plasma physics research, typically reaching altitudes of 100-1,000 kilometers. Notable missions included the Aural Spatial Structures Probe (ASSP) on a Terrier-Oriole IV rocket from Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska, on January 28, which deployed instruments to study auroral particle interactions. A Terrier-Black Brant XII from White Sands Missile Range on February 25 supported Department of Defense experiments on propulsion and reentry dynamics. Further scientific suborbital launches encompassed the Charged Aerosol Release Experiment II (CARE II) on a Black Brant XI from Andøya Rocket Range, Norway, on September 16, releasing charged particles to investigate artificial aurorae and plasma effects. On October 7, a Black Brant IX from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, carried payloads for neutral wind measurements in the mesosphere. Twin launches over Norway were planned for late 2015 to probe auroral particle acceleration, though execution details confirmed suborbital trajectories for VIS (Visualizing Ionospheric Structures) and Azimuth missions.
MissionDateLaunch SiteVehiclePurposeApogee (km)
ASSPJan 28Poker Flat, AKTerrier-Oriole IVAuroral studies~300
Terrier-Black BrantFeb 25White Sands, NMTerrier-Black Brant XIIDoD tests~1,200
CARE IISep 16Andøya, NorwayBlack Brant XIPlasma release~350
Black Brant IXOct 7Wallops, VABlack Brant IXMesospheric winds~400
No commercial passenger suborbital flights occurred, as Virgin Galactic suspended operations following the 2014 SpaceShipTwo crash, focusing instead on redesign and regulatory reviews throughout 2015.

Deep Space Rendezvous and Flybys

NASA's Dawn spacecraft achieved rendezvous with the dwarf planet Ceres on March 6, 2015, entering its first science orbit at an altitude of approximately 13,600 kilometers after a journey that included prior orbital insertion around asteroid Vesta. The mission, powered by ion propulsion, enabled detailed imaging and spectroscopic analysis of Ceres' surface features, including bright spots later identified as salt deposits, marking the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies. The European Space Agency's Rosetta orbiter, in extended operations around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko following its 2014 rendezvous, conducted multiple hyperbolic flybys starting in February 2015 to observe the comet's increasing activity as it approached perihelion in August. These maneuvers allowed close-range data collection on dust and gas emissions at varying solar phase angles, with the spacecraft maintaining proximity through December 2015 despite risks from cometary outbursts. New Horizons executed a high-speed flyby of Pluto on July 14, 2015, passing 12,500 kilometers above its surface at 11:49 UTC, capturing the first close-up images revealing a complex, icy world with nitrogen glaciers and a hazy atmosphere. Launched in 2006, the probe's encounter, at a distance of 34 AU from the Sun, provided data on Pluto's five moons and surface composition via instruments like the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager and Alice spectrograph, with initial telemetry confirming successful operations. These events represented milestones in deep space exploration, with Dawn and New Horizons targeting unvisited targets while Rosetta extended in-situ comet studies, though no new interplanetary rendezvous beyond these occurred in 2015.

Technological and Commercial Developments

Reusable Launch Vehicle Progress

In 2015, SpaceX advanced its Falcon 9 reusability program through multiple first-stage recovery attempts following orbital launches. On January 10, during the CRS-5 mission, the first stage executed a controlled descent to a concrete landing pad at Cape Canaveral but experienced low thrust at touchdown, resulting in a tip-over and explosion. Subsequent tests included barge deployments for autonomous spaceport drone ship landings, with the April 14 CRS-6 mission achieving a soft ocean touchdown but failing due to excessive lateral velocity, causing the stage to capsize. These efforts refined cold gas thruster guidance, grid fin steering, and engine relight capabilities for precise vertical landings. The year's breakthrough for SpaceX occurred on December 21 with the ORBCOMM-2 mission, where Falcon 9 v1.1 booster B1023 launched 11 satellites to orbit from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 and successfully returned to Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1), marking the first vertical landing of an orbital-class rocket stage on solid ground. The booster, powered by nine Merlin 1D engines, separated at 78 km altitude, performed a boost-back burn, entry burn, and landing burn, touching down within 3 meters of the target after traveling over 600 km downrange. Post-landing analysis confirmed structural integrity, though the stage was not reflown due to minor damage. Blue Origin achieved a suborbital reusability milestone on November 23 with its New Shepard vehicle, launching from West Texas and reaching 100.5 km apogee before the BE-3 engine throttled for a powered descent and vertical landing on the pad. This marked the first successful recovery of a booster that had crossed the Kármán line, following prior uncrewed test failures; the capsule separated and parachuted safely, enabling potential rapid reuse. Unlike SpaceX's orbital focus, New Shepard targeted tourism and microgravity research with vertical integration. These demonstrations validated propulsive landing technologies, reducing launch costs through hardware recovery, though full orbital reusability required further iterations in propulsion reliability and refurbishment processes. No other major reusable systems achieved flight recoveries in 2015, with efforts like Stratolaunch or Reaction Engines remaining in ground testing phases.

Maiden Flights of New Rockets

The Long March 6 (CZ-6), a new Chinese small-lift orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology using hypergolic propellants in a three-stage configuration capable of delivering approximately 1,000 kg to sun-synchronous orbit, conducted its maiden flight on September 19 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The mission successfully deployed the Shijian-11-04 technology demonstration satellite, validating the rocket's design for medium-lift payloads in polar orbits without upper-stage kick motors. On September 25, the Long March 11 (CZ-11), China's first solid-fueled orbital rocket designed for rapid-response launches from mobile platforms with a capacity of about 350 kg to low Earth orbit, achieved its debut flight from a land-based transporter-erector-launcher at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It placed the Shijian-11-05 military technology satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit, demonstrating the vehicle's four-stage solid-propellant architecture for quick-turnaround missions independent of fixed infrastructure. The Super Strypi, an American two-stage solid-fueled rocket developed under a U.S. Naval Research Laboratory program for low-cost launches of small payloads (up to 32 kg to low Earth orbit) from a mobile sea platform, attempted its maiden flight on November 4 from the Pacific Ocean. The launch failed shortly after ignition due to a malfunction in the first stage, resulting in no orbital insertion and destruction of the vehicle, highlighting challenges in sea-based deployment and ignition sequencing for new small launchers. Russia's Soyuz-2.1v, a lightweight variant of the Soyuz-2 family optimized for military payloads with a new Volga upper stage replacing the traditional Fregat, performed its first flight with this configuration on December 5 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The mission partially succeeded by reaching orbit but failing to deploy the primary Kanopus-ST satellite, which reentered attached to the Volga upper stage, while successfully deploying the secondary Chibis-M satellite, affirming the rocket's 2,500 kg to low Earth orbit capacity using NK-33 engines from retired N-1 stock. SpaceX's Falcon 9 v1.2 (Full Thrust), an upgraded version of the Falcon 9 with stretched propellant tanks, Merlin 1D engines optimized for full-thrust output (increasing payload capacity by about 30% to over 13,000 kg to low Earth orbit), and enhanced avionics, debuted on December 21 from Cape Canaveral SLC-40. The launch successfully delivered 11 ORBCOMM OG2 second-generation satellites to a 700 km orbit and marked the first vertical landing of an orbital-class booster stage on solid ground after payload deployment, advancing reusable launch technology despite prior v1.1 attempts.
RocketDateOperatorOutcomePayload Capacity (LEO)
Long March 6Sep 19CASC (China)Success~1,000 kg SSO
Long March 11Sep 25CASC (China)Success~350 kg
Super StrypiNov 4NRL (USA)Failure~32 kg
Soyuz-2.1v (w/ Volga)Dec 5Roscosmos (Russia)Partial~2,500 kg
Falcon 9 v1.2Dec 21SpaceX (USA)Success>13,000 kg

Private Sector Milestones

In November 2015, Blue Origin achieved a significant reusability milestone with its New Shepard suborbital vehicle. On November 23, the company conducted an uncrewed test flight from its West Texas launch site, where the booster reached an apogee of approximately 100.5 kilometers before separating from the crew capsule and executing a powered vertical landing on a concrete pad, marking the first successful recovery of a suborbital booster by a private entity. This demonstration validated Blue Origin's escape system and propulsion for controlled descent, paving the way for future crewed suborbital tourism flights. SpaceX advanced orbital reusability efforts throughout 2015, culminating in a breakthrough landing. Following multiple failed recovery attempts earlier in the year—such as during the January 10 CRS-5 mission—the company succeeded on December 21 with Falcon 9 Flight 20, launching 11 Orbcomm OG2 satellites to low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral. The first stage then performed a precise entry burn and vertical landing on a concrete pad at Landing Zone 1, the first such recovery for an orbital-class rocket, demonstrating grid fin guidance and restartable Merlin engines under high-velocity reentry conditions. This event, occurring just months after the June 28 CRS-7 launch failure due to a second-stage helium tank rupture, highlighted rapid iteration in private propulsion reliability. These landings by Blue Origin and SpaceX underscored the private sector's focus on reducing launch costs through hardware reuse, contrasting with expendable government rockets, though full orbital refurbishment and reflights remained years away. No other private firms achieved comparable recovery feats in 2015, with efforts like Virgin Galactic's still paused post-2014 crash and Rocket Lab's Electron in early testing phases without launches.

Incidents, Failures, and Risks

Launch Failures and Anomalies

In 2015, five orbital launch attempts experienced failures or major anomalies, representing approximately 5.7% of the year's 87 attempts, with three total failures and two partial successes where orbits were achieved but payloads were compromised. These incidents involved Russian, American, and experimental vehicles, often stemming from upper-stage design flaws, structural issues, or untested modifications. On April 28, Soyuz-2-1A launched Progress M-27M cargo spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome, successfully reaching orbit but losing attitude control shortly after separation due to dynamic interactions with the modified third-stage Fregat (14S54), causing tumbling that wrecked the spacecraft's propulsion and rendering it uncontrollable. Roscosmos attributed the anomaly to inadequate analysis of interactions between the modified stage and Progress vehicle, leading to a three-month delay in ISS resupply missions. The May 16 Proton-M/Briz-M launch of MexSat-1 communications satellite from Baikonur failed totally when the third stage underperformed, preventing orbital insertion; the root cause was a design flaw in the Briz-M turbopump, the same defect that doomed a 1988 Proton mission. This loss of the Mexican satellite highlighted ongoing reliability issues with the aging Proton family, prompting further scrutiny of Khrunichev's production processes. SpaceX's June 28 Falcon 9 v1.1 mission with Dragon CRS-7 from Cape Canaveral disintegrated 139 seconds after liftoff due to a second-stage liquid oxygen tank structural failure, destroying the cargo and halting ISS resupply; NASA's investigation identified a flawed helium COPV support strut design that allowed bottle rupture under flight loads. On November 4, the experimental Super Strypi solid-fuel rocket, carrying HiakaSat/ORS-4 microsatellite from Kauai, veered off course early in flight, resulting in vehicle breakup and payload loss without official cause disclosure, marking a setback for small-launch developer CineSail. Finally, December 5's Soyuz-2-1V launch of Kanopus-ST (Kosmos-2511) from Vostochny achieved orbit and deployed a secondary calibration satellite but failed primary payload separation from the upper-stage adapter, stranding it in a decaying 104 x 564 km orbit that led to reentry days later; the anomaly was linked to adapter mechanism malfunction.

Space Debris Events

In 2015, several on-orbit fragmentation events contributed to the growing population of trackable space debris, exacerbating collision risks for operational satellites and crewed spacecraft. These incidents involved the breakup of defunct military and meteorological satellites, as well as residual launch hardware, generating hundreds of new debris objects larger than 10 cm in size, which are cataloged by U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). On February 3, 2015, the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F13 spacecraft (international designator 1999-028A), launched in 1999 and operating in a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 850 km altitude, experienced an onboard explosion, likely due to a battery failure or residual fuel ignition. This event produced over 100 cataloged debris fragments, with the largest pieces reaching speeds of several kilometers per second relative to other objects in similar orbits, increasing the probability of future conjunctions by an estimated 10-20% for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) polar paths. Ground-based sensors from USSTRATCOM and ESA's Space Debris Office confirmed the debris cloud's expansion, highlighting vulnerabilities in aging polar-orbiting satellites to internal failures that release kinetic energy. Another fragmentation occurred on August 3-4, 2015, involving a debris object (international designator 2011-029G) from the 2011 launch of Russia's Spektr-R radio telescope satellite. This upper stage component, residing in a high-eccentricity orbit, broke into at least 50 trackable pieces, possibly triggered by hypervelocity impact from pre-existing micrometeoroid or orbital debris, or by an internal pressure buildup. The resulting fragments posed short-term risks to nearby Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) assets, though no immediate collisions were reported; NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office noted the event's contribution to the cumulative debris density in elliptical orbits used for deep-space missions. In late 2015, the NOAA-16 weather satellite (international designator 2000-050A), a polar-orbiting platform at around 850 km altitude decommissioned in 2014 after 14 years of service, underwent a significant breakup, yielding more than 350 tracked fragments. Analysis by ESA attributed the event to an explosion or collision, dispersing debris across a broad inclination band and elevating conjunction probabilities for other LEO satellites by factors of up to 5 for objects in comparable altitudes. This incident underscored the challenges of passivating retired spacecraft to prevent post-mission explosions, as residual propellants or batteries can remain hazardous for years. These events collectively added several hundred pieces to the cataloged debris population, which stood at over 23,000 objects by year's end, with models indicating a non-negligible risk of cascading collisions under Kessler syndrome dynamics if mitigation measures like deorbiting are not universally adopted. No direct impacts on operational missions were confirmed, but they prompted enhanced maneuver planning for the International Space Station and commercial constellations.

Safety and Regulatory Responses

The failure of the Russian Progress M-27M cargo spacecraft on April 28, 2015, shortly after launch aboard a Soyuz-2.1a rocket, prompted Roscosmos to initiate an immediate investigation, narrowing the focus to potential issues in spacecraft separation from the rocket's upper stage, where telemetry was lost 1.5 seconds prior. Roscosmos declared the mission lost due to multiple system failures and depressurization, leading to a realignment of the International Space Station cargo manifest and updates to the 2015 launch schedule for manned and cargo missions on June 9, while maintaining operational continuity for crewed Soyuz flights after verification of unrelated systems. In response to the SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS-7 launch failure on June 28, 2015, caused by a strut assembly failure in the second stage that released a helium tank and breached the liquid oxygen tank, SpaceX led an accident investigation team including FAA and NASA observers, submitting a mishap report and return-to-flight plan to regulators in November 2015. Corrective measures included comprehensive inspections and replacements of suspect hardware, enhanced quality control processes aligned with NASA standards, and reorganization into dedicated reliability teams to oversee design, build, and flight upgrades such as increased engine thrust and software refinements. The FAA approved relicensing for subsequent missions, enabling SpaceX's return to flight with the Orbcomm OG2-2 deployment on December 21, 2015, while NASA's Launch Services Program conducted an independent review and accepted the actions, though a lack of standardized mishap investigation policies for commercial resupply launches was noted, prompting recommendations for policy updates to include such operations. Broader regulatory developments emphasized industry self-governance amid rising commercial activity. The U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, signed into law on November 25, 2015, extended a moratorium—initially set by the 2004 Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act—prohibiting the FAA from issuing new safety regulations for commercial human spaceflight participants until October 1, 2023, unless specific design or operational flaws caused serious injury, aiming to foster voluntary consensus standards during the sector's maturation following incidents like the 2014 SpaceShipTwo crash. This legislation directed the FAA to assess progress via reports on voluntary standards from bodies like ASTM International and to commission independent reviews, such as by the RAND Corporation, while relying on existing licensing oversight for public safety without mandating participant protections. NASA's Office of Inspector General recommended enhanced coordination with federal agencies via memoranda of understanding and updates to mishap reporting policies to encompass commercial payloads, addressing gaps exposed by the CRS-7 event.

Launch Statistics

By Country and Agency

In 2015, a total of 87 orbital launch attempts occurred worldwide, with launches distributed across major spacefaring nations and their agencies. Russia led with 26 attempts, primarily conducted by Roscosmos and associated entities such as Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, using vehicles like Soyuz, Proton, Rokot, and Zenit from sites including Baikonur and Plesetsk. The United States followed with 20 launches, managed by a mix of government and commercial providers: United Launch Alliance (ULA) handled 12 using Atlas V, Delta IV, and Delta II for mostly U.S. government payloads; SpaceX performed 5 Falcon 9 missions, including NASA-contracted resupplies and commercial satellites; and one U.S. Air Force Super Strypi attempt failed. China executed 19 launches via the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) and Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), employing Long March (CZ) series rockets such as CZ-2D, CZ-3B/C, CZ-4B/C, and debut flights of CZ-6 and CZ-11 solid-fuel variants, supporting national satellites from Jiuquan, Taiyuan, and Xichang launch centers. European efforts totaled 12 launches under Arianespace from Kourou, French Guiana, for ESA programs like Galileo and commercial payloads. India achieved 5 successes with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) using PSLV and GSLV from Sriharikota, including the PSLV-C28 deploying multiple satellites. Japan conducted 4 launches through Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) oversight, utilizing H-IIA and H-IIB from Tanegashima for domestic and international payloads. Iran performed 1 launch with its Islamic Republic of Iran Space Agency using a Safir rocket from Semnan. No launches occurred from Israel, North Korea, or South Korea. Of these efforts, 82 reached orbit successfully, with failures including Russia's Proton-M (MexSat-1), Soyuz-2-1V (Kosmos-2511 partial), and Progress M-27M; U.S. Falcon 9 CRS-7 and Super Strypi; marking a 94% success rate overall.
Country/RegionLaunchesPrimary Agencies/Providers
Russia26Roscosmos, Khrunichev (Soyuz, Proton, etc.)
United States20ULA, SpaceX, USAF (Atlas, Falcon, Delta)
China19CALT, SAST (Long March series)
Europe12Arianespace (Ariane, Vega, Soyuz)
India5ISRO (PSLV, GSLV)
Japan4JAXA/MHI (H-IIA/B)
Iran1Iranian Space Agency (Safir)
Total87

By Rocket Family and Configuration

In 2015, a total of 87 orbital launch attempts occurred worldwide, with launches distributed across various rocket families and configurations. The Soyuz family (R-7 derived) conducted the most attempts at 17, primarily using configurations such as Soyuz-2-1a, Soyuz-2-1b, Soyuz-FG, and Soyuz-ST-B, achieving 15 full successes alongside one failure (Progress M-27M on April 28) and one partial success (Kosmos-2511 on December 5). The Long March (Chang Zheng) family followed with 19 launches, including 17 from the CZ-2/3/4 series (e.g., CZ-3B/G2, CZ-4C), plus maiden flights of CZ-6 and CZ-11, all successful.
Rocket FamilyKey ConfigurationsLaunchesSuccesses/Failures
ProtonProton-M/Briz-M, Proton-M/Blok-DM-0387 successes, 1 failure (MexSat-1, May 16)
Atlas VAtlas V 401, 421, 501, 5519All successful
Falcon 9v1.1, v1.1(ex), v1.254 successes, 1 failure (CRS-7, June 28)
Ariane 5ECA6All successful
H-IIH-2A-202/204, H-2B-3044All successful
DeltaDelta II 7320-10C, Delta IV M+(4,2/5,4)3All successful
VegaStandard3All successful (one with suborbital primary but orbital upper stage)
Rokot (UR-100N)KM2Both successful
PSLV/GSLVPSLV-XL/CA, GSLV Mk II5All successful
Others (Dnepr, Zenit-3F, Safir-1B, Super Strypi)Various53 successes, 1 failure (Super Strypi, November 4), 1 success (Zenit)
These configurations reflect adaptations for payload mass, orbit type, and mission requirements, with upper stages like Fregat or Briz-M enabling geosynchronous transfers in several families. Overall, 82 attempts succeeded fully, with failures concentrated in Russian and U.S. vehicles amid ongoing reliability challenges for evolving designs like Falcon 9 v1.1.

By Spaceport and Orbit

In 2015, a total of 87 orbital launch attempts occurred from 13 primary spaceports, with 82 fully successful in reaching intended orbits. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan led with 23 attempts, predominantly to low Earth orbit (LEO) for crewed missions and resupply vehicles, alongside several geosynchronous transfer orbits (GTO) for commercial communications satellites. Cape Canaveral in Florida followed with 19 attempts, balancing LEO deployments for science and resupply with GTO missions for military and navigation payloads. Kourou in French Guiana hosted 13 launches, heavily favoring GTO for heavy-lift Ariane 5 missions carrying geostationary satellites. Chinese spaceports—Xichang (12 launches), Jiuquan (5), and Taiyuan (5)—collectively accounted for 22 attempts, with a focus on LEO and sun-synchronous orbits (SSO, a LEO subset) for remote sensing and navigation constellations like Gaofen and Yaogan, plus GTO for Beidou systems. Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia managed 8 LEO-centric launches for military reconnaissance and communications. Smaller sites included Sriharikota, India (5 launches, mostly LEO for Earth observation and one GTO), Tanegashima, Japan (4, split between LEO and GTO), and minor contributions from Vandenberg (2 LEO/polar), Dombarovskiy (1 LEO), Semnan, Iran (1 LEO), and Kauai, Hawaii (1 failed LEO attempt). Overall orbit distribution emphasized LEO (54 attempts, including SSO for imaging satellites), GTO (22 for eventual geostationary insertion), with fewer to polar orbits (2) or other specialized paths like highly elliptical Molniya-types. No interplanetary launches occurred from Earth-based sites.
SpaceportTotal AttemptsLEO/SSO/PolarGTO/GEONotes on Key Missions/Failures
Baikonur23158Progress resupply to ISS (LEO); Inmarsat-5 F2 (GTO); 1 partial failure (Soyuz-2-1V).
Cape Canaveral19118Dragon CRS missions (LEO); MUOS-3 (GTO); 1 Falcon 9 failure.
Kourou13310Galileo navigation (MEO/LEO-like); multiple Ariane 5 GTO telecomsats.
Xichang12210Beidou-3 GEO navigation; Gaofen-4 GEO imaging.
Plesetsk880Kosmos reconnaissance (LEO); 1 Kanopus failure.
Other Chinese1091Yaogan SSO reconnaissance from Taiyuan/Jiuquan.
Sriharikota541Astrosat (LEO); GSAT-6 (GTO).
Tanegashima422IGS radar/optical (LEO); Telstar 12V (GTO).

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